Ukraine pauses strikes on Russian refineries after Trump pressure, WSJ says

Ukraine has stopped attacking oil refineries inside Russia following pressure from US President Donald Trump, according to a Wall Street Journal report relayed by the foreign desk of the Israeli broadcaster N12. N12 said the American newspaper based its account on people familiar with the details, and described the halt as an informal pause rather than an announced policy.

According to that account, the pause began at the start of last week and is expected to last until after the midterm elections in the United States, and possibly further into November. The Jerusalem Post also carried the report, describing the halt as temporary and attributing it to pressure from Trump. Neither outlet published its own independent confirmation; both credited the Wall Street Journal.

What the reports say

The core claim is narrow. Ukraine, by this account, has refrained from striking Russian refineries since early last week. The reason given is pressure from the Trump administration. The expected timeframe runs at least until the American midterm vote, and the report allows for the pause stretching further into November. The arrangement is described as unofficial, meaning neither Kyiv nor Washington is reported to have announced it publicly.

N12 posted the item twice within minutes on its news channel, with identical wording; the second post added a Reuters photo credit. The Jerusalem Post item followed about an hour later. All three pieces of material trace back to the same Wall Street Journal report, so for the purposes of this article they amount to one underlying source relayed by two organisations.

Why refineries matter in this war

Strikes on Russian energy facilities have been a recurring feature of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The Jerusalem Post illustrated its report with a Reuters photograph showing smoke rising from fires at an oil refinery in Moscow, which Russian authorities attributed to a Ukrainian drone strike. The caption dates that image to September 20, 2026, which indicates such attacks were taking place in the weeks before the reported pause.

Oil refining is central to Russia's economy and to fuel supply for its military, which is why such facilities have been targets. Attacks on them can also affect energy markets beyond Russia. The reports themselves, however, do not spell out the reasons behind the reported US pressure.

The US midterm timing

Midterm elections in the United States are the congressional elections held roughly halfway through a presidential term. The report ties the expected length of the pause to that vote. The material does not explain the connection, and does not say whether the pause is linked to fuel prices, diplomacy with Moscow, or another consideration.

Why an Israeli outlet is covering it

N12 is the news arm of one of Israel's main commercial television channels, and its foreign desk relays major international stories to Hebrew-speaking audiences. The Jerusalem Post is an English-language Israeli daily. The war in Ukraine and US policy decisions are both followed closely in Israel.

What the reports do not say

• Whether the Ukrainian government or the Trump administration has confirmed or denied the pause. No official statement is quoted in the material.
• What form the US pressure took, who applied it, or whether anything was offered to Ukraine in return.
• Whether the pause covers only refineries or other Russian energy infrastructure as well.
• Whether Russia has changed its own military activity in response.
• A precise end date. The report gives only an expectation that the pause lasts past the midterms and perhaps deeper into November.

Until either government comments, the account rests on the Wall Street Journal's unnamed sources as relayed by N12 and The Jerusalem Post.